First report of Meloidogyne javanica (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae) infecting Scoparia dulcis, a medicinal plant in Brazil

Abstract

Medicinal plants Scoparia dulcis showing symptoms caused by root-knot nematodes were detected in the municipality of Cachoeira do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Based on the morphological, esterase phenotypes, and molecular analyses of the mitochondrial DNA region between the cytochome oxidase subunit II and 16S rRNA genes (mtDNA) and species-specific sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR), the causal agent of the observed symptoms was identified as Meloidogyne javanica. Pathogenicity was confirmed by fulfilling a modified version of Koch’s postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. javanica infecting S. dulcis in Brazil.